Alexey Toropchenko will not be in the lineup when the St. Louis Blues visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN).
Toropchenko did not skate with the team on Friday before it left to begin a two-road trip. Blues Head Coach Jim Montgomery originally said Toropchenko was “sore” and “questionable to play,” citing both upper and lower-body injuries. He was ruled out before pregame warmups on Saturday.
With Toropchenko absent, Montgomery had Alexandre Texier skating on the third line with Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter, while Mathieu Joseph shifted to the fourth line with Nick Bjugstad and Nathan Walker. It’s possible those lines will be used Saturday.
“Texier [filled in] last year a handful of times,” Montgomery said. “He just provides more offense because of his skillset. He provides o-zone time because of his elite puck protection skills. We’re hoping we get a little more push there. It gives us the potential for three scoring lines.”
The Blues will be looking for their first win of the season after a disappointing season opener on Thursday vs. Minnesota.
“I want to see a dogged determination (Saturday), where there’s almost a scowl on your face when the game begins because you’re not happy with the way [the season] started,” Montgomery said. “Any team that wants to be really good in this League, losing two in a row isn’t something you accept or even tolerate. The start of (Saturday’s) game is going to be important to see where we’re at in the process.
Joel Hofer is expected to start in goal.
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